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Noodles · Myeongdong

Jinju Hoegwan

진주회관

Since 1962Local classicLocal favoriteCelebrity pickFine on your own ⓘ

Seoul's most famous kongguksu: noodles in an ice-cold, almost porridge-thick soy milk broth, served since 1962. It is a summer ritual for office workers around City Hall, with lines out both doors on hot days.

서울특별시 중구 세종대로11길 26

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How it works here

🥢 How Korean restaurants usually work

Waiting

Short wait
Just join the line

On summer weekdays the lunch line is long but moves fast, usually 30 minutes or less. Mid-afternoon, or any time after the summer heat, you can often walk straight in.· 6 reviews

What to order

📖 What is Kongguksu?
  • Kongguksu (cold soy milk noodles)콩국수

    The signature: thick, nutty, ice-cold soy milk with chewy noodles.

How much to order

  • AnyOne kongguksu per person. There is no large size, but you can add extra noodles.

How to eat it

  1. 1Taste the broth before adding salt. Most people find the soy milk rich enough on its own.· 2 reviews

Insider tips

  • Do not skip the kimchi. Each person gets their own dish, and its sweet-sour crunch is the classic partner to the rich soy broth.· 4 reviews
  • There are two entrances, front and back, each with its own line. Either one works, so pick the shorter.· 3 reviews

Why it's famous

Opened in 1962 and now run by the third generation. The soy milk is made only from Korean soybeans contract-grown in Gangwon Province, with no water or ice mixed in.· 5 reviews

  • Local classicDesignated a Seoul Future Heritage restaurant and a government-recognized Hundred-Year Shop.· 4 reviews
  • Local favoriteUsually named one of Seoul's "big three" kongguksu restaurants.· 3 reviews
  • Celebrity pickRegulars have included former President Lee Myung-bak, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Samsung chairman Lee Jae-yong.· 2 reviews

Did you know?

  • Jinjujip in Yeouido, another famous kongguksu house, was founded by a brother of the owner, so the two share the same roots.· 3 reviews

Good to know

  • From about March to November the menu is kongguksu only. Other dishes come back in the colder months.· 2 reviews
  • Closed on Sundays. There is an afternoon break from 14:00 to 15:00.· 4 reviews
  • You pay when you order.· 2 reviews
  • 1 to 2 minutes from City Hall Station, exit 9 (Lines 1 and 2), behind the Samsung headquarters building.· 3 reviews
Where this comes from (33 reviews)

Summarized in our own words from Korean diners' blog reviews; each fact is backed by at least two reviews. Last checked 2026-10-23.